UAlbany SSTEP is back at it!

Perhaps y’all remember when UAlbany STAT was meeting last semester and fighting human trafficking. Well, this semester they are back with a new name, a new approach, and new momentum.

Now with SA funding, SSTEP is trying to get the word out about human trafficking and exploitation more than ever. SSTEP, which is an acronym for Stopping the Tracking and Exploitation of People, is a group of college students who are especially passionate about the second biggest business in the world. No joke, human trafficking is the second biggest business in the world.

“Our main goal this semester is to reach out to as many students as we can with our goal,” said Ali Hansen, president. “We want to get as many students involved in committees as possible.”

The set goal of SSTEP this semester is to collaborate with as many student groups and nonprofits as possible, as well as help survivors get back on their feet after going through this trauma. Last semester, SSTEP was able to raise over $250 for the LifeWay Network in NYC.

“We are here, and we realize that it’s a problem, and we want to help find a solution,” Hansen said.

On campus, SSTEP plans to utilize tactics like dorm-storming to raise money, as well as use word of mouth and advertising to get people through the doors. At the end of last year, dorm storming garnered $260 according to Hanson. That money went to LifeWay.

Political and Human Rights Liasion Angel Warner plans to collaborate with her own non-profit, Shelters’ Wings, to donate goods to women. Shelters’ Wings was originally created to donate feminine hygiene products to women in homeless shelters after she realized how little they were available. Warner was instrumental in pushing forward a petition last year that helped raise the marriage age from 14 to 17 in NY.

SSTEP has a lot of plans, and more will be leaking out as meetings continue. More importantly, it is highly imperative that people are aware of what is happening in this industry because it can be detected. To find out how you can spot a victim of human trafficking, click here.

Follow SSTEP’s actions at @UAlbanySSTEP on Instagram, “Students Stopping the Trafficking and Exploitation of People” on Facebook, or email uasstep@gmail.com.